Cat and Child

Arrival of a baby brings
happiness in everyone's life. But if you are a cat owner you need to
take care of certain things so that the cat and the baby can get used to
each other without any problem.

Introducing the cat to the baby

Introduce the cat gradually to the baby. Cats take time to adjust
to a new family member.

Before the birth of the baby review the behavior of the cat.
Ensure that it consistently obeys you. The commands to "sit/stay"
and "down/stay" are essential to control the cat and give
direction for desirable behavior.

A curious and affectionate cat may harm the cat. The cat may
accidentally scratch the cat. Hence keep your cat's nails well
trimmed.

In the initial days after the birth isolate the baby from the
cat.

Maintain positive interaction with the cat in the presence of
baby. In this way, the cat is unlikely to view the baby's presence
negatively, which could result from reduced attention.

Before the birth, carry an imaginary doll and do the daily chores
such as changing diapers etc in the presence of the cat. This will
help in acclimatization of the cat.

Similarly, you can make a tape recording of your crying infant
and play this at gradually increased volume while you practice
obedience commands and praise your cat for desirable behavior.

Cats may urinate or defecate on baby blankets or baby clothes, or
on your bed. Some cats may urinate or defecate in a newborn's crib.
These are not acts of malice or jealousy. Territorial marking
relieves a pet's anxiety, covering the baby's scent (or yours) with
its own. Do not scold the cat for this behavior, as this will only
increase its stress during adjustment to new circumstances. Prevent
access to its targets and spend more time with the cat.

When your baby becomes a toddler, reassure your cat during
supervised interaction. Remain watchful and teach your child to
respect the cat. More often than not, you will need to protect your
cat from your child.

Training the child to behave with cat.

From the moment children begin to crawl, they investigate
everything around them, including your pet. Your cat's toys, food or
water bowl and litter box are fair targets. Hence, children should
be taught to interact appropriately with pets from the time they
begin to crawl and walk.

Many children delight in waking a sleeping pet by screaming in
its ear or persistently chasing it, giving it no peace.

Under adult supervision, children must be taught how to treat
cats. Children must learn that cats are not toys and are living
beings. They must be taught to substitute unacceptable behavior with
acceptable behavior toward your cat.

Children must be shown which parts of a cat's body can be touched
and how to gently pet them. Teach them not to disturb an animal
while it is resting or sleeping, eating a meal, or playing with or
chewing on a favorite toy or object.